Wednesday, January 10, 2007

"The STUPID, it burns us, it burnsssssss..."

Just scraped this off my shoe after stepping in it over at DKos. Apparently another neocon nitwit, assured of Bush's "brilliance" has decided that the fault of the Iraq debacle lies with lazy, latte-sipping troops:

Note that an increase in embeds doesn’t necessarily require an increase in overall troop strength. We’ve got lots of soldiers sitting on megabases all over Iraq. They should be out and about, some of them embedded, others just moving around, tracking the terrorists, hunting them down. I don’t know how many guys and gals are sitting in air-conditioned quarters and drinking designer coffee, but it’s a substantial number. Enough of that.

When this whole fiasco started back in 2003, I recall the endless accusations against those of us who opposed war, primary among those epithets that we on the anti-war left "did not support the troops." That was utter shit then and remains so: I always maintained I felt I supported the troops more than the pro-war morons because I didn't want to see our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers going off to fight a war that was essentially nothing but a huge dose of viagra for George W. Bush.

I have several friends who are serving or have served in Iraq and all of them have told me of being stretched to the limits, physically and psychologically, patrolling the streets and boroughs of Iraq, up and alert and hungry for 48 hours, 72 hours - or more. Somehow, I doubt the heaping mound of dog shit that is Michael Ledeen knows anything about the kind of stress that comes from serving on the front lines. In fact, I'm positive that all he knows is the experience of "sitting in air-conditioned quarters and drinking designer coffee," pontificating about what do-nothings our brave women and men serving are and what an embarrassment they are to the service of Dear Leader.

Such disrespect of our troops is unconscionable, appalling. It's clear how shabby this pro-war crowd considers our fine soldiers doing the work the chickenhawks are to cowardly to do. If anyone in Michael Ledeen's family is serving in Iraq (and I seriously doubt he has any), I sincerely hope they return home safe and strong - and intent on knocking out Ledeen's teeth. And for those of you pro-war folks who are of enlistment age, I suggest you put your money where your mouth is (and protect your own teeth) and enter the fray or STFU. Time to pony up you spineless sacks of crap, quit running your mouths and letting others do what you're too afraid to do on your own.

Not that I think my appeal will inspire any enlistment-age war supporters to step up and sign the oath. Indeed, I'd bet this month's pay that, faced with the reality of putting on a uniform and strapping on a gun (as opposed to the Pringle-breathed fantasy) would result in a load dropped in their underoos that resembles, um, Michael Ledeen.

I just saw a news article about soldiers being diagnosed with pretty serve mental illness, say, homicidal tendnecies, being handed some anti-depressants and sent back in even beofre the drugs have time to start working...

While I am the last person to support Michael in any way, I need to clarify something - his son has served in Iraq for several tours. In addition, his daughter has worked over there on several occassions on the rebuilding of the country's infrastructure. I abhor 99% of everything Michael stands for, but this is the one item you cannot criticize. He knows what it is like to have a child in the line of fire.